Northern Illinois University

School of Music

Brass Audition Information

  1. Major and chromatic scales slurred and tongued at a moderate tempo
  2. Sight reading
  3. Two solos of a contrasting nature. Legato, marcato, sustained and technical playing should be represented. One of the two solos should be a movement from a common concerto or sonata

Suggested repertoire (comparable literature may be substituted):

Trumpet: Haydn, Hummel, Neruda or Artunian Concerto; Hindemith or Peters Sonata

Jazz Trumpet: You will need to demonstrate an ability to improvise on a 12-bar blues progression (any key) and one other progression of your choice.  Be able to play all major, harmonic minor, and natural minor scales.  There may also be sight-reading of big band music selected by the auditioners.

Horn: Mozart or Strauss Concertos; Beethoven or Hindemith Sonatas

Trombone (tenor) and euphonium: Barat, Andante et Allegro; Guilmant, Morceau Symphonique; David, Concertino; Galliard, Telemann, Vivaldi, Marcello, or Hindemith Sonatas; Rimsky-Korsakov, Concerto

Jazz trombone:  Demonstrate ability to improvise on a 12-bar blues form and play the melody and improvise on the chord changes of a jazz standard by memory.

Bass trombone: Mueller, Praeludium, Chorale, Variations and Fugue; McCarty, Sonata; Semler-Collery, Barcarolle et Chanson Bachique; Hindemith, Drei Leichte Stucke (cello)

Tuba: Bach/Bell, Air and Bouree; Handel, Honor and Arms; Capuzzi/Catalinet, Andante and Rondo from Concerto for Double Bass; Holmes, Lento; Vaughan Williams, Concerto